Unraveling the role of gravity in shaping intruder dynamics within vibrated granular media
Abstract Our experiments aboard the Chinese Space Station reveal a gravity-driven transition in intruder dynamics within vibrated granular media. While vibrations typically enable an intruder to ascend in a granular bed, low-gravity conditions induce it to descend under similar vibrations. Using a H...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Communications Physics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-024-01927-9 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Abstract Our experiments aboard the Chinese Space Station reveal a gravity-driven transition in intruder dynamics within vibrated granular media. While vibrations typically enable an intruder to ascend in a granular bed, low-gravity conditions induce it to descend under similar vibrations. Using a Hall-sensor array tracking method, we monitor the intruder’s movement throughout each vibration cycle and identified two competing mechanisms: inertia and gravity-dependent penetration. As gravity decreases, we observe a significant reduction in the scaled damping coefficient and hydrostatic pressure coefficient indicating that bed particles disperse more readily upon intruder impact, facilitating deeper penetration. Our findings highlight a critical transition from downward to upward motion of the intruder as vibration acceleration exceeds a threshold, which increases as gravity decreases. These insights into intruder dynamics in low-gravity environments have significant implications for asteroid exploration and lunar base construction, enhancing our understanding of the Brazil nut effect and the formation of planetesimal. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2399-3650 |